ABSTRACT
The existing science education curricula, even those advocating the social impacts of science, are inadequate to meet the needs and interests of students faced with the demands, issues, and problems of contemporary life under capitalism especially in an era of crisis. A much more politicised approach for science education is required, with major emphasis on social critique, empowerment, and political action.
Critical Education as an alternative, currently investigated and developed by a number of radical science educators and critical pedagogues, is largely based on Critical Theory and Freire’s Critical Pedagogy and to a lesser extent on Cultural Studies and identity politics.
In this paper, I study the perspectives for a renewed Marxist pedagogy of science interpreted within the framework of classical Marxism and more specifically in terms of Bernal’s views developed in the “Social Function of Science” and Zilsel’s theory for “the Social Origin of Modern Science”. Both scholars under study are considered as initiators of Marxist history of Science. So, this paper first and foremost set out to re-establish the actuality of Marxist History of Science through its interaction with the currently established field of Science Studies.
The analysis of the legacies and works of the above-mentioned scholars of the Marxist tradition shows that intellectual enrichment with the contemporary problematic can form the basis for a Marxist pedagogy of science that can change society and its practices.
